Optical component for free-space optical propagation between waveguides

An optical apparatus, comprising:

• a horizontal member;
• two side walls integrally formed with and protruding from the horizontal member;
• a substantially transparent end wall integrally formed with and protruding from the horizontal member, the end wall, side walls, and horizontal member partially enclosing an interior volume;
• and
• optical functionality imparted on at least a portion of the end wall,
• wherein the two side walls are arranged for engaging a substantially horizontal mounting surface so as to position the end wall at a desired angle with respect to the mounting surface and so that the mounting surface partially encloses the interior volume opposite the horizontal member.

An optical apparatus, comprising:

• a planar optical waveguide formed on a waveguide substrate;
• a second optical waveguide positioned on the waveguide substrate and optically end-coupled with the planar optical waveguide;
• and
• an optical component, comprising
• a horizontal member,
• two side walls integrally formed with and protruding from the horizontal member;
• a substantially transparent end wall integrally formed with and protruding from the horizontal member, the end wall, side walls, and horizontal member partially enclosing an interior volume;
• and
• optical functionality imparted on at least a portion of the end wall, wherein:
• the two side walls are arranged for engaging the waveguide substrate so as to position the end wall at a desired angle with respect to the waveguide substrate and so that the waveguide substrate partially encloses the interior volume opposite the horizontal member;
• the optical component is mounted on the waveguide substrate with the two side walls engaged therewith;
• and
• the planar optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide are optically end-coupled by reflection from the optical component end wall or by transmission through the optical component end wall.

An optical apparatus, comprising:

• a substrate;
• at least three planar optical waveguides formed on the substrate;
• at least one laser mounted on the substrate for emitting optical power at an output wavelength;
• at least one photodetector mounted on the substrate for detecting optical power at an input wavelength;
• and
• at least one optical component mounted on the substrate,
• wherein:
• a first one of the planar waveguides is optically end-coupled at a first end face thereof with a second one of the planar waveguides at an end face thereof;
• the first planar waveguide is optically end-coupled at the first end face thereof with a third one of the planar waveguides at an end face thereof;
• the optical component directs optical power emerging from the end face of the second planar waveguide into the first end face of the first planar waveguide;
• the optical component directs optical power emerging from the first end face of the first planar waveguide into the end face of the third planar waveguide;
• the laser is optically coupled to the second planar waveguide so that optical output power emitted by the laser propagates along the second planar waveguide and emerges through the end face thereof;
• the photodetector is optically coupled to the third planar waveguide so that optical input power entering the end face thereof propagates along the third planar waveguide for detection by the photodetector;
• the optical component comprises a horizontal member with two side walls and a substantially transparent end wall integrally formed therewith and each protruding therefrom and partially enclosing an interior volume, and a spectrally-selective optical filter coating formed on at least one surface of the end wall, the two side walls being arranged for engaging the substrate so as to position the end wall at a desired angle with respect to the substrate and so that the substrate partially encloses the interior volume opposite the horizontal member;
• and
• the optical component is mounted with the two side walls engaged with the substrate, with the end wall near the waveguide end faces, and with at least one of the waveguide end faces received within the interior volume.